Fuel-supply for submerged submarines.



A. FERNANDEZ. FUEL SUPPLY Foa SUBMERGED SUBMARINES.

APPLICATION. FILED SEPT- 20, i916.

Patented July 10, 1917.

tra srarns arnnr erre.

ALPHONSE FERNANDEZ, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

FUEL-SUPPLY FOR SUBMERG-ED SUBMARINES.

Application led September 20, 1916.

To a-ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALPHoNsn FERNAN- DEZ, a subject of the King of Spain, residing at the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuel-Supplies for Submerged Submarines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention aims to provide simple and efficient means whereby submarines may be supplied with fuel or with other liquid while submerged either adjacent a wharf, in mid ocean or at other points, the principal object being to provide means whereby a supply pipe carried independently of the vessel may be coupled thereto without allowing an appreciable quantity of water to enter the ship.

l/Vith the foregoing in view, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction and in unique combinations of parts to be hereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawings which con stitute a part of this application and in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing a submerged submarine in section preparatory to coupling of a supply pipe thereto, said pipe being shown as depending from a wharf;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing more particularly the manner in which the parts are normally disposed;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the two coupling members on the supply pipe and the vessel connected together;

Fig. 4 is another section showing all parts in readiness for the supplying of oil to the storage tanks of the submarine;

Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section showing a slightly modified form of construction in which a buoy is permitted to rise from the submerged vessel and carry with it the {illing pipe; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section of the parts shown in Fig. 5. i l i In Figs. 1 to 4 the numeral 1 designates the wall or shell of the submarine while 2 has reference to one of the storage tanks thereof which carry the fuel for the engines. A tubular coupling member 3 passes rota-l tably through a circular opening 4 in the Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1d, 1917.

Serial No. 121,254.

ative relation by means of a suitable collar 7 secured to the vessel. As shown in Fig. 2, the outer end of the coupling member 3 is normally closed by a screw plug or the like 8 which may well be carried by a chain 9 while the inner end of said member is provided with a screw cap 10 or other apl propriate closure, these parts beingprovided for a purpose to appear. The member 3 is also preferably equipped with a hand wheel 11 by means of which it may be rotated.

The numeral 12 designates a iexible supply pipe which is shown in Fig. l as de pending from a pipe 13 under a wharf 14, the lower end of said pipe having an eX- ternally threaded coupling member 15 which is normally closed by a screw plug 16 or other suitable valve member. The member 15Yis adapted to be threaded into the outer end of the member 3 when the plug 8 is removed and for permitting removal of said plug and coupling of the two members 3 and 15, the construction now to be described is provided.

A tubular housing 17 projects inwardly from the wall 1 adjacent the coupling member 3 and is provided at its outer end with a spring closed door or the like 18 while the inner end of said housing is equipped with a removable cap 19. A flexible sleeve 20 of canvas, rubber or any other lpreferred material is secured at its inner end to the housing 17 by means of any suitable water tight connection 21 while the outer end of said sleeve carries a glove 22 which will also be of any suitable fiexible material. The sleeve 20 and glove 22 `are adapted to receive the arm and hand of a person within the vessel to permit him to reach outwardly for the purpose of removing the plug 8, guiding the coupling member 15 into the member 3, and holding the former against rotation while the latter is turned to thread the one into the other.

'To ermit the operator to accomplish these resu ts, a glass covered view opening 23 is preferably provided as depicted clearly in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

After the parts have been connected in the manner disclosed in Fig. 3, the cap l0 is removed, thus permitting the small quantity of water in the coupling member 3 to escape. This having been done, the operator reaches into the coupling member 3 and removes the plug 16. A pipe 24 which may or may not be flexible as occasion may demand, is now connected with the inner end of said coupling member 3 and a signal is given to the attendant at the wharf 14 whereupon the supply of fuel will be turned on so as to fill the storage tanks of the submerged vessel.

When the required amount of fuel has been supplied to the ship the operator will cut off the flow thereof and a reversal of the coupling operation will then uncouple the pipe 12 from the vessel. This having been done, the sleeve 2O and glove 22 are again incased in the housing 17 and the cap 19 Vis applied. (See Fig. 2).

In Figs. 5 and 6 a tubular coupling member 3 is shown passing rotatably and slidably through a suitable stuffing box or the like 7 in the inner wall of an outwardly opening compartment 25 in the wall of the vessel, said compartment having one or more doors 26 by means of which it is normally closed, said doors being operable from the interior of the vessel in any suitable manner. The outer end of the coupling member 3 is provided with a screw plug 28 while the inner end thereof is equipped with a screw cap 10 and a hand wheel 11. Adjacent the coupling member 3 is a housing 17 in which a flexible sleeve and glove suchas 20-22 are housed while in close proximity to said housing is a view opening 23, the object being that a pipe such as 12 may be connected to the outer end of the coupling member 3 in the manner described in connection with Figs. 1 to L1.

A flexible supply pipe 27 is wound on the member 3', the latter therefore constituting a windlass and the inner end of said pipe communicates with the interior of said coupling member when the screw plug 28 shown in Fig. 6 is removed. The free end of pipe 27 is equipped with a buoy 29 which is normally housed within the compartment 25 with the doors 26 thereof closed, it being understood that the entire member 3 is then pulled inwardly so as to confine its outer end within saidcompartment.

By the construction just described, the vessel may be lled from a wharf or other permanent supply line or fromfa supply ship. 1f the submarine is to be filled from the latter, the doors 26 are opened and the member 3 is forced outwardly and rotated so as to permit buoy 29 to carry the free end of the pipe 27 to the surface. The discharge pipe of the supply ship will then be coupled to said pipe 27 and by removing the cap 10 and the plug 28 a pipe such as 24C may be coupled onto 3f to conduct the fuel t0 the storage tanks of the vessel.

From the foregoing, it will be' clear that although the construction employed is rather simple, it will be highly eiiicient and will permit submarines to easily take on fuel means operable from the interior of saidV submarine for coupling the pipe thereto.

2. Means for filling the storage tanks of submarines while submerged without the aid of divers, comprising asupply pipe carried independently of the submarine, coacting coupling members on the vessel and pipe, and means for guiding the coupling member of said pipe into operative relation with that of the vessel from the interior of the latter.

3. Means for filling the storage tanks of submarines while submerged without the aid of divers, comprising a supply pipe car,- ried independently of the submarine, a cou-V pling member carried by said pipe and having a manually operable valve by means of which water is normally excluded, a coupling member extending through the wall of the submarine and having a closure yat or near its inner end to be removed from the interior of the vessel after the two members are completely coupled together to permit manual opening of the aforesaid valve through the coupling member of the vessel, and means carried by the submarine for guiding the coupling member of the pipe into operative relation with that of the vessel from the interior of the latter;

1. The combination with a submarine, of a tubularv member carried by and passing rotatably through the wall of said submarine in water-tight engagement therewith, said coupling member having means at its outer end for coupling it to a supply pipe when rotated. t A

5: The combination with a submarine, of a tubular coupling member passing rotatably through the wall thereof and having means at its outer end whereby itmay be coupled to a supply pipe when rotated, and means `for permitting a person on the'interior of the vessel to hold the pipe against turning while said coupling member is being rotated.

6. The combination with a submarine, of a tubular coupling member passing rotatably through the wall thereof and having means at its outer end whereby it' may be coupled to a supply pipe when rotated, and a exible water tight sleeve communicating with the exterior of the vessel to receive the arm and hand of a person in said vessel to permit him to reach outwardly and hold the pipe against rotation while the coupling member is being turned.

7. The combination with a submarine, a pipe for supplying liquid thereto under water, and coacting coupling means on the vessel and pipe; of a flexible sleeve impervious to Water and communicating with the interior of the vessel adjacent the coupling means thereof, said sleeve being adapted to receive the hand and arm of a person in the vessel to permit him to reach outwardly and connect said coacting coupling means.

8. The combination with a submarine, of a tubular coupling member passing rotatably through the wall thereof, a removable closure for the outer end of said coupling member to normally exclude water and to permit attachment of a stationary supply pipe to said coupling member, a flexible supply pipe communicating at one end with the interior of said coupling member and secured at this end to said member, a valve member for closing and opening said end of the flexible supply pipe, and a buoy on the other end thereof, said coupling member being adapted to be rotated to wind said flexible supply pipe thereon.

9. The combination with an external compartment in the wall of a submarine, of a tubular coupling member passing slidably and rotatably through said wall into said compartment, a removable closure for the outer end of said coupling member to normally exclude water and to permit the attachment of a stationary supply pipe, a flexible supply pipe wound on said coupling member and normally confined in the aforesaid compartment, the inner end of said flexible pipe being in communication with the interior of said coupling member through the instrumentality of valve means, and a buoy on the outer end of said flexible pipe, said buoy being normally confined in the compartment but being released therefrom when the coupling member is forced out wardly.

l0. The combination with an external compartment in the wall of a submarine, of a hollow windlass passing rotatably and slidably through said wall into said compartment, a flexible supply pipe wound on said windlass and communicating at its inner end with the interior thereof, and a buoy on the outer end of said supply pipe, said buoy and pipe being normally conned in the aforesaid compartment but being moved therefrom when said windlass is forced out wardly. W f

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALPHONSE FERNANDEZ. Witnesses:

L. O. HmroN, J. A. GRmsBAUnR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

